October 25, 2007

Time is running out

Community input for strategic plan ends December 2007

By Jeanne C. Carbone
Staff Writer

Concerned about more athletic fields for your kids? Want to add facilities at your favorite park? A vote before the December deadline for San Jose’s Greenprint 2008 ensures your voice is heard.

San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood services Project Manager Rafael Gomez, right, passes out stickers to residents to vote on their concerns. District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle attended the meeting to answer questions. Photos by Jeanne C. Carbone

Greenprint 2008 is San Jose’s 20-year strategic plan for parks, recreational facilities and programs. Voting by residents facilitates city staff and policy makers in the day-to-day decision making process, which provides opportunities to improve resident health and wellness. The updated plan will be presented next spring and will be the basis of the recreational input for the city’s General Plan. 

“The available land for parks in District 10 is extremely limited, so I want to do everything possible to make sure that the voice of all residents is heard,” said District 10 Councilmember Nancy Pyle. “If you could not attend the meeting on the Oct.18, I invite you to download the Greenprint survey from the city Web site and send it in.”

A dozen interested residents gathered at the Almaden Community Center on Oct. 18 for the Greenprint 2008 meeting presented by San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services [PRNS] Project Manager Rafael Gomez, recreation superintendent Marie Alberry-Hawkins, Art Rosales and Pyle.

A presentation by Gomez covered subjects ranging from potential acquisitions, recreational programs and services, amenities and facilities and citywide regional facility usages. A question and answer period followed with voting afterwards.

“Our goal is to provide safe, clean facilities, increase parks and open space, expand trail connections to parks and recreation facilities and promote stewardship and volunteerism,” said Gomez. “This will improve health and wellness, build and improve the community image and livability, expand fiscal resources and partnerships and promote economic development.”

Cambrian resident George Hopkins attended to voice his concerns regarding leash laws for dogs.

“People are fined if their dogs are off leashes,” said Hopkins. “The solution is simple; dogs off leash on even days, on lease odd days. Or open all the time for dogs and give the people that don’t control or pick up after their dogs tickets.”

He said everyone will be allowed to vote at the meetings, and suggested that dog owners attend all of them.

San Jose’s Fontana Park was once called Golden Oak Park. Photo by Ron Horii

The six key strategies for Greenprint are programs and services, parks and open spaces, recreational facilities, citywide trails, public outreach and resource development. Gomez said Web site voting had been strong but urged the public to attend a scheduled meeting or to vote online.

The meetings represent Phase I of the Greenprint 2008 plan, which presents meetings, focus groups and is in the last stages of a 1,000 resident telephone survey began in May 2007 and scheduled to end in late December.

Phase 2 is strategy development where the collected data is analyzed and reviewed and compared with the current plan. Its timeline is December through February. Phase III will facilitate a proposed action plan, funding development for needed capital and maintenance and a review of the draft report from February through April.

Greenprint community meetings will be held on Monday, Oct. 29 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Southside Community Center, 5585 Cottle Road and on Thursday, Nov. 5 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Edenvale Library, 101 Branham Lane East for District II. Two other meetings will be held in November--on Tuesday Nov. 13 from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m. at the Evergreen Library at 2635 Aborn Road and on Thursday, Nov. 29 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Santee Neighborhood Action Center, 1535 Santee Drive.

San Jose residents may also visit www.sjparks.org/greenprint to cast their votes.